Abigail Disney, the heiress and granddaughter of one of the co-founders of The Walt Disney Company, has announced that she will resume her donations to the Democratic Party now that President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race.
Earlier this month, Disney publicly declared that she would halt her contributions until the party replaced Biden as the nominee. In an email to CNBC on Monday, she confirmed her decision to support the party again, stating it was contingent upon Biden stepping aside and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.
When she initially made her decision to stop donating, Disney also expressed her support for Harris, emphasizing her belief in the Vice President’s capabilities. “We have an excellent Vice President. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one-tenth as much as they have tolerated Biden’s (and let’s not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot,” she stated.
Disney was among several prominent Democratic donors who reacted negatively to Biden’s poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that the dissatisfaction among the donor class and a decline in financial support were factors that influenced Biden’s decision to exit the race. Additionally, financier George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, have also expressed their endorsement of Harris following Biden’s withdrawal.